Apparatus for applying materials to localized areas of a roadway surface



Jan. 14, 1969 I D J MAT 3,421,476

. TOS APPARATUS FOR APPLYING MATER S TO-LOCALIZED AREAS OF A ROADWAY FACE Filed March 9, 1967 Sheet of 2 1N VEN'TOR.

00mm Jossvn MATTos W Y ATTORNEYS Jan. 14, 1969 J,'MATTQ 3,421,476-

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING MATERIALS T0 LOCALIZED AREAS OF A ROADWAY SURFACE Filed March 9. 1967 Sheet 2 of 2 65 ELECT. AIR souszczl ELECT- SOL.

A) SOL V b[) MR AIR fi? m AIR AIR YELLOW WHITE WHITE PAINT YELLOW PAINT INVENTOR. Baum JOSEPH MATTos ATTORNEYS United States Patent Oflice 3,421,476 Patented Jan. 14, 1969 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for applying material to localized areas of a roadway surface including an arm pivotally attached to a vehicle and having an applicator head at the lower end thereof. The arm is arranged so that the head remains in a fixed position relative to the roadway surface during movement of the vehicle so that material may be dispensed onto such surface.

This invention relates generally to the application of material such as sand for blast cleaning, paint for marking, glue for the securance of markers, etc. to a roadway surface, and is more particularly directed to apparatus for the application of such materials to localized areas of the roadway surface from a moving truck.

In recent years various reflective and non-reflective markers have been extensively employed to emphasize the lane dividing lines of a roadway surface. The markers are typically applied in a predetermined repeating pattern along the lane dividing line. For example, groups of four relatively closely spaced non-reflective markers are placed at relatively widely spaced intervals with a reflective marker interposed therebetween. In the application of the markers, the roadway surface is typically first marked in the desired pattern with dots of paint to indicate the positions at which the markers are to be applied. Usually different colors of paint are employed to designate the placement points of the respective types of markers, e. g., white for non-reflective and yellow for reflective. Areas adjacent the placement dots are sand blast to provide a clean surface free of oil, and the like. The sand blast areas are then coated with glue, and the appropriate markers are applied thereto in accordance with the colors of the adjacent paint dots. It will be appreciated that the foregoing procedure is extremely tedious and time consuming when conducted in a substantially manual fashion, as has been the case heretofore.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide apparatus for automatically applying material to localized areas of a roadway surface from a moving truck, or other vehicle.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the class described which may be arranged to automatically simultaneously sand blast localized areas and apply adjacent dots of different colored paints at spaced apart intervals of a roadway surface in a predetermined repeating pattern.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of applicating apparatus which is arranged for brief retention at predetermined positions of a roadway surface as the supporting vehicle moves thereover, whereby material applied for the apparatus during its periods of retention is confined to localized areas.

It is a further object of the invention to provide apparatus of the class described which is relatively rapid and accurate in operation.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be undertsood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawings and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of vehicle conveyed localized area applicating apparatus in accordance with the present invention as arranged to sand blast localized areas and apply paint dots at spaced intervals in a predetermined repeating pattern.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken at line 22 of FIGURE 1 through the applicating head of the apparatus.

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view of the head taken at line 33 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary interior elevational view on an enlarged scale of a programming time employed with the applicating apparatus, illustrating particularly a cam disc thereof.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken at line 55 of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a schematic diagram of the electrical and fluid systems of the apparatus.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, applicating apparatus in accordance with the present invention is arranged for association with a vehicle, such as a truck 11. The apparatus includes an applicating head 12 which is carried by the truck at a position closely adjacent an underlying roadway surface 13. In accordance with the particularly salient aspects of the invention, the apparatus is so arranged that the head may be selectively retained in fixed position relative to the surface 13 for a brief interval as the truck 11 moves forward. The head is provided with at least one dispenser from which a material such as sand, paint, glue, etc., may be dispensed to the surface 13. Control means are associated with each dispenser to effect the dispensing of material therefrom only during the intervals the head is retained in fixed position relative to the surface 13. Thus, the dispensed material is applied to a localized area even though the truck is moving forward.

In the accomplishment of the above noted extremely important feature of the invention, the head 12 is carried by an elongated lever arm 14 pivotally mounted on the truck 11 to one side thereof at a preferably central position, as indicated at 16. The arm is resiliently maintained in a normal forward position (see FIGURE 1) as by means of a spring 17 connected between the arm and the body of the truck. In addiiion, a cushioning air cylinder 18 is preferably connected between the arm and truck body to damp return movement of the arm to its normal position. Selective retention of the arm, and therefore the head 12 in fixed position relative to the surfa.e 13 during forward movement of the truck is then facilitated by means of an extendable foot 19 carried by the head. The foot is normally retracted, but may be selectively extended into engagement with the roadway surface under the control of the truck driver, automatic programming means of a type subsequently described, or

other means. When the foot is extended into engagement with the roadway surface, the position of the head and arm relative thereto is thus fixed relative movement between the arm and truck being provided by the pivot 16. Thereafter, the foot may be retracted whereupon the head carrying arm is freed for return movement to its normal position under the influence of the spring 17. As noted previously, the head carries at least one dispenser for dispensing material to the roadway surface. Such dispenser may be appropriately controlled to initiate the dispensing of material simultaneously with extension of the foot, and to terminate dispensing simultaneously with retraction of the foot. The material is thus applied to a localized area of the roadway surface.

Considering now a preferred foot and dispenser arrangement which may be provided with the head 12, reference is made to the enlarged views of FIGURES 2 and 3. As shown therein, the foot 19 is comprised by the piston rod of a double acting pneumatic cylinder 21 mounted on the head in substantial alignment with the axis of the arm 14. The cylinder has ports 22, 23 at its opposite ends to and from which air may be supplied and exhausted in a controlled manner later to be described. Air may be supplied to the upper port 22 and exhausted from the lower port 23 to thereby effect downward movement of the piston and extension of the foot. Conversely air may be supplied to the lower port and exhausted from the upper port to drive the piston upward and retract the foot.

The dispenser arrangement carried by the head preferably includes a sand blast nozzle 24 mounted laterally outward from the cylinder 21, and a pair of air actuated paint sprayers 26, 27 mounted laterally inward from the cylinder at positions respectively forward and rearward thereof. One sprayer 26 may be employed, for example, to dispense white paint, and the other sprayer 27 to dispense yellow paint. Air may be supplied to the sand blast nozzle and one or the other of the sprayers, at the same time the cylinder is actuated to extend the foot. Sand is thereby dispensed at high pressure from the nozzle to sand blast a localized area of the roadway surface and one color of paint is dispensed from the actuated sprayer to paint a locator dot adjacent the said blast area.

Although the cylinder 21, sand blast nozzle 24, and paint sprayers may be manually controlled by an operator within the truck 11, it is preferred that the operation of these elements be automatically programmed to sand blast areas and apply paint dots at spaced intervals in a predetermined repeating pattern. In this regard a programming timer 28 is preferably secured to the truck adjacent one front wheel and coupled to a valve system associated with the cylinder, nozzle, and sprayers to eflect operation thereof in accordance with predetermined distances moved by the truck. The timer preferably includes a wheel 29, e.g., a bicycle wheel, journalled for rotation on a frame 31 secured to the truck body in such a position that the wheel rolls along the roadway surface 13 as the truck moves thereover. A sprocket 32 is secured to the hub of the wheel, and a second sprocket 33 of relatively large diameter is journalled on the frame and coupled to sprocket 32 by means of a chain 34. As the wheel rotates, the sprocket 33 correspondingly rotates with a reduced angular velocity which is proportional to the distance moved by the truck. A cam disc 36 (see FIGURE 4) secured to the sprocket 33 for rotation therewith is arranged to actuate foot extend and retract switches 37, 38, and white and yellow paint switches 39, 41 at predetermined increments of disc angular displacement. All switches are normally open microswitches of the type havingactuating levers 42 which, upon being contacted, effect switch closure. The extend and retract switches 37, 38 are mounted upon the frame 31 with their actuating levers adjacent the periphery of the cam disc 36, switch 37 being angularly displaced from switch 38 in the direction of disc rotation. The white and yellow paint switches 39, 41 are mounted upon the frame with their actuating levers adjacent the face of the disc at different radii thereof. A plurality of pins 43 (four pins in the illustrated case) project normally outward from the face of the disc at equal circumferentially spaced positions along the radius of the actuating lever of switch 39. A single pin 44 projects normally outward from the face of the disc at a position diametrically opposed to the center of the group of pins 43 and on the radius of the actuating lever of switch 41. The pins 43 successively actuate the switch 39 at equal increments of distance traversed by the truck. After a greater increment of distance, the pin 44 actuates the switch 41, and after another equal increment the switch 39 is again successively actuated by the pins 43. In addition, a plurality of pins 46 project radially outward from the disc periphery at positions radially aligned with pins 43, 44. The pins 46 thus actuate the foot extend and retract switches 37, 38 each time the white and yellow paint switches are actuated.

The programming timer 28 controls the operation of the pneumatic cylinder 21, sand blast nozzle 24, and paint sprayers 26, 27 by means of an electrical and pneumatic system as shown in FIGURE 6. The system includes white and yellow paint control relays 47, 48 and foot and sand blast control relays 49, 51. The relays 47, 48 include solenoids 52, 53 respectively having one side connected to the switches 39, 41 and the other side connected to ground. The switches are connected to a power source 54 to complete ground return circuits to the relay solenoids when the switches are closed. The relays 47, 48 also include normally open contacts 55, 56 which are closed in response to energization of the solenoids 52, 53 by closure of the switches 39, 41. The relays 49, 51 similarly include solenoids 57, 58 connected in series with the power source 54 through the switches 37, 38. Normally open contacts 59, 61 of relays 59, 51 are closed in response to energization of the solenoids 57, 58 by closure of the switches 37, 38.

The system further includes a sand blast control unit 62 which is communicated with the nozzle 24 and an air source 63. The unit includes a control valve 64 having on, off electrical inputs connected to the power source 54 through the contacts 59, 61 of relays 49, 51. Upon closure of contact 59, the valve 64 is energized to effect the blowing of sand through nozzle 24 under the pressure of air source 63. Upon closure of contact 61, the valve 64 is energized to terminate the blowing of sand.

Control of the foot 19 is facilitated by means of a solenoid actuated valve 66 which is connected to the air source '63 and is connected to the ports 22, 23 of cylinder 21. The value has electrical inputs connected in series with the power source 54 through contacts 59, 61 of relays 49, 51. Closure of contacts 59 energizes the valve 66 to eflect the supply of air from source 63 to port 22 and exhaust of air from port 23. The foot is thus extended. Conversely closure of contact 61 energizes the valve 66 to reverse the flow of air and thereby retract the foot.

Control of the sprayers 26, 27 is facilitated by means of a solenoid actuated valve 67 which is connected to the air source 63 and is connected to pneumatic controls of the respective sprayers. The air source is also communicated with white and yellow paint reservoirs 68, 69 in turn communicated with the sprayers 26, 27. The valve 67 has electrical inputs connetced in series with the power source 54 through contacts 55, 56 of relays 47, 48. Responsive to closure of contact 55, pressure is momentarily applied to sprayer 26 to cause a short blast of white paint to be sprayed therefrom.

Responsive to closure of contact 56, pressure is momentarily applied to sprayer 27 to cause a short blast of yellow paint to be sprayed therefrom.

Considering now the overall operation of the system of FIGURE '6, it will be appreciated that foot extend switch 37 is actuated by one of the pins 46 of ca-m disc 36 each time the white paint switch 39 is actuated by one of the pins 43. Shortly thereafter the pins 46 actuate the foot retract switch 38. Relay 49 is in turn energized to close contacts 59 with the result that valve 64 of sand blast until 62 is turned on, and simultaneously solenoid actuated valve '66 is energized to establish air flow conditions in cylinder 21 commensurate with extension of the foot 19. The head 12 is thus retained in fixed position relative to the roadway surface while sand is delivered at high pressure from nozzle 24 to sand blast a localized area of the surface. At the same time white paint relay 47 is energized to momentarily close contacts 55. Solenoid actuated valve 67 is in turn momentarily energized to cause sprayer 26 to deliver a short blast of white paint to the roadway surface and thus paint a white dot adjacent the area being sand blasted. When the pin 46 actuates foot retract switch 38, relay 51 is energized to close contacts 61. Valve 64 and solenoid actuated valve 66 are energized to terminate the delivery of sand from nozzle 24 and cause cylinder 21 to retract foot 19. The head 12 is thus freed for return to its normal position. In a similar manner each subsequent corresponding set of pins 43, 46 upon engaging the switches 39, 37 commences another cycle of operation which extends the foot and actuates the sand blast unit 62 and sprayer 26. The cycle is again terminated when the pin 46 engages switch 38. A plurality of equally spaced localized sand blast areas and adjacent white dots are thus effected on the roadway surface.

Following the series of said blast areas and white dots, the pin 44 engages yellow point switch 41 and the corresponding pin 46 engages switch 37. The action with re gard to the foot and sand blast unit is then the same as previously described. However, relay 48 is now energized to momentarily close contacts 56. Solenoid actuated valve 67 is in turn momentarily energized to cause sprayer 27 to deliver a short blast of yellow paint to the roadway surface. The cycle is completed when the pin 46 engages switch 38.

As previously noted, the pivoted applicator head and selectively extendable foot arrangement of the present invention may be utilized to the exclusion of the programming timer 28 and automatic electric and pneumatic control system of FIGURE 6. In particular, the head 12 may carry a single dispensing nozzle for glue or equivalent adhesive. In this case, the foot 19 may be selectively actuated by means of a manually controllable trigger mounted, for example, in the cab of the truck. A suitable control means associated with the nozzle then commences the dispensing of glue when the foot is extended and terminates the glue dispensing when the foot is retracted. In this manner the truck may be driven over a roadway surface previously sand blasted and indexed with paint dots, and the glue dispensed to the sand :blast areas under the control of an operator in the cab of the truck.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for applying materials to localized areas of a roadway surface from a moving vehicle comprising an applicating head, means mounting said head on said vehicle adjacent an underlying surface for relative movement between said head and vehicle, retaining means carried by said head for selectively briefly retaining same in fixed position relative to said surface during movement of said vehicle thereover, and dispensing means carried by said head for dispensing materials to said surface during the intervals of retention of said head in fixed position relative to said surface, said head mounting means being a lever arm carrying said head, means pivotally mounting said arm on said vehicle, and means resiliently maintaining said arm in a normal forward position relative to movement of said vehicle, and said retaining means being a foot carried by said head selectively movable between a retracted position out of engagement with said surface and an extended position in engagement therewith.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, further defined by said foot comprising the piston rod of a double acting pneumatic cylinder mounted on said head, said cylinder being selectively actuatable to extend or retract said rod.

3. Apparatus for applying materials to localized areas of a roadway surface from a moving vehicle comprising a lever arm pivotally mounted on said vehicle substantially centrally thereof, a head carried by said arm adjacent an underlying surface traversed by said vehicle, means resiliently retaining said arm in a normal forward position relative to movement of said vehicle, a double acting pneumatic cylinder mounted on said head in alignment with said arm, said cylinder having a piston rod extending therefrom movable between retracted and extended positions out of and in engagement with said surface responsive to the flow of air to opposite ends of said cylinder, a sand blast nozzle carried by said head for pneumatically dispensing sand therefrom, first and second paint sprayers carried by said head for pneumatically dispensing paint therefrom, and control means coupled to said cylinder, sand blast nozzle, and paint sprayers for controlling actuation thereof.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, further defined by said control means comprising a wheel, a frame secured to said vehicle journalling said wheel for rotational movement over said surface during movement of said vehicle thereover, a disc journalled for rotation on said frame, means coupling said wheel in rotational driving relation to said disc, first and second switches mounted on said frame adjacent the periphery of said disc, at circumferentially spaced positions thereof, third and fourth switches mounted on said frame adjacent a face of said disc at different radii thereof, a first plurality of pins projecting radially from said disc at circumferentially spaced positions thereof for actuating engagement with said first and second switches, a second plurality of pins projecting from said face of said disc at circumferentially spaced positions thereof for actuating engagement with said third switch, a single pin projecting from said face of said disc for actuating engagement with said fourth switch, said first plurality of pins being respectively radially aligned with said second plurality of pins and said single pin, and electrically controlled pneumatic means coupled between said first and second switches and said cylinder and sand blast nozzle for initiating operation thereof in response to each actuation of said first switch and terminating operation thereof in response to each actuation of said second switch, and coupled between said third and fourth switches and said first and second sprayers to momentarily actuate same respectively in response to each actuation of said third and fourth switches.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, further defined by said electrically controlled pneumatic means comprising first and second solenoid actuated valves each having an inlet and first and second outlets respectively communicated with said inlet in response to energization of first and second electrical inputs, an air source connected to the inlets of said first and second solenoid actuated valves, first, second, third, and fourth relays each having a solenoid and normally open contacts closable in response to energization of said solenoid, a power source, means connecting said power source in series with the solenoids of said first, second, third, and fourth relays through said first, second, third, and fourth switches, valve means associated with said sand blast nozzle for respectively initiating and terminating the dispensing of sand therefrom in response to energization of first and second inputs thereof, means pneumatically coupling said first and second outlets of said first solenoid actuated valve to the opposite ends of said cylinder, means pneumatically coupling said first and second outlets of said second solenoid actuated valve to said first and second sprayers, means connecting said power source to said first inputs of said first solenoid actuated valve and said valve means through the contacts of said first relay, means connecting said power source to said second inputs of said first solenoid actuated valve and said valve means through the contacts of said second 7 8 relay, and means connecting said power source to said 2,324,478 7/1943 Bleakley et a1. 239-150 X first and second inputs of said second solenoid actuated 2,988,285 6/1961 Shaffer 239150 X valve through said contacts of said third and fourth relays WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner.

respectively.

5 JOHN P. MCINTOSH, Assistant Examiner.

References Cited US. Cl. X.R.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,658,086 2/1928 Huff 118-305 X 118-72, 305, 308 

